246 THE LAND OF THE LION 



both of them. If I must go up to a lion that is wounded, 

 when the cover is thick (something I sincerely hope no one 

 who reads this account of my wanderings will ever be induced 

 to do) I'd rather go with such a weapon in my hand than 

 with any rifle that was ever built. You can shoot with it 

 quicker and truer than with anything else. 



Speaking of rifles and their use, I would venture to give 

 a piece of advice to those who are buying a battery. Make 

 sure that your trigger pulls are alike. Many men never 

 seem to pay any attention to this most important detail. 

 Especially is it needful to see to this if you are using guns 

 which you change constantly in a day's sport. If one, 

 let us say your every day gun, has a light pull (four Ibs.) 

 or a sharp pull, and your heavier rifle has a heavier or drag- 

 ging pull, you are likely to be exceedingly annoyed by the 

 bad shooting that you make on just those occasions when 

 you would wish to do well. Yet no man could do good 

 shooting under the circumstances. Our American Win- 

 chesters have two very strong points in their favour: their 

 breech action is much quicker and easier than that of any 

 "bolt gun" (all the European magazine rifles are of this 

 make), and the pull off is to my mind perfect. The insuper- 

 able objection to them is, the action cannot stand the 

 heavy powder charge that a heavy bullet requires, and their 

 ammunition cannot be obtained here, when fresh ammuni- 

 tion is desirable. 



It takes quite a time for one accustomed to the Winches- 

 ter to familiarize himself with the sliding bolt of Mannlichers 

 or Mausers. And I cannot too strongly urge on all who 

 intend using these weapons, to constantly practise, first 

 with empty magazine and then with full, the manipulation 

 of the gun they are going to work with. The slightest 

 downward jerk of the Winchester lever throws the full or 

 empty shell over the shoulder. In the bolt rifle the latter 

 has to be drawn right back to the full length of its slide, 



